Fastening means for boots



Nov. 23 1926. 1,608,214

E. c. JANKE FASTENING MEANS FOR B001', Filed Jan. 25, 1926 ATTORNEY l.Patented Nov. 23, 1.926. j

- AUNITED 'STA-Tas lParitair carica.

aannam) c. Janna, or MILWAUKEE, wIscoNsIN, assreivon 'ro .uvam Mannino`TUBING COMPANY, or mnwarrxnn, WISCONSIN, a conPona'rIoN or wrscoNsIN.

- rasrnnme Manns non noone.

Application-'mea January as, 192e. vserial No. sa'ass.

'The invention relates to boots and more particularly to improvements infastening andl re-enforcing means for sich boots.

The provision of a rapidly-o erable fastener on a. lacing boot, asdisclose in my co-pending application for boots, Serial No. 46,315,filed July 27, 1925, and also in my co-pendin ap llcation for shoes,Serial No. 704,191, ii ed pril 4, 1924, has been found very convenientas the operation of placing the boot on the foot and removing ittherefrom is greatlysimplied, in addition to affording properiitting ofthe boot to the foot. In some instances, however, the fabric of thefasteners commonly used was found to de-` teriorate rapidly,particularly when exposed to organic acids or other harmful substances,

thereupon necessitating the replacement of,

the fasteners.

It is an object of thepresent invention to provide a boot which may berapidly placed on thepfoot and removed'therefrom by means of sparablefasteners such as clasps, Whi suitable means are provided to and ininsure snug fitting and neat appearance without interfering with theflexibility of the boot.

,' vide a boot of vof withstanding hard service and which can aperspective. view dl) vide a boot o Another ob'ect of the invention isto pro` this character in which local of the fasteners' on the foot is`ized ressure avoi ed.

A furtherobject of the invention is to prothis character Which iscapable be inexpensively manufactured. The invention further consistsingthe several features hereinafter se't'forth and more particularlydefined in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. l is of a high boot embodying theinvention Fig-2 is a sectional view thereof taken on the line 2 2 ofFig. 1;

Fi 3 is afragmentarv detail view showingte manner of re-en orcing onequarter of 'the upper; and Figli is a fragmentary detail view show-'ling the manner of re-enforcing a fastener 1 portion,the outer quarterof the up r.of eyelets 14 is placed-in a strip for the boot.

In these drawings, 10 which the upper 11 is parted at its forward erbeing provided with a row of eyelets l2 or a centraliy disposed lacing13. To correspond with the eyelets 12, a com lementary row astener strip15 indicates a boot in of boot shown in.the drawings, the forward loweredge of the upper terminates short of its usual position and thejadjacent overlapping edges of the upper and fastener strip are skivedat19 to present a joint of neat appearance. ably located at the innerquarter lof the uplper,'as noted above, and substantially in line withthe high portion of the instep to adord a large opening for insertion ofthe foot into the boot. Y

The 'fastener stri l5 overlaps the upper throughout its lengtli, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is proyided with spaced eyelets 20 adaptedto receive therethrough the hooked levers 21 of-lever clasps 22, whichmay be of the type commonly used in arctics. The bases 23 of the claspsaresecured to the upper by rivets 24 or other suitable fastening means.

` The rivets may also extend through'a gusset 25, secured to the insidequarter of the upper by suitable stitchin and folded at the oppositeside with its e ge secured to the other .quarter ofthe upper along therow of eyelets 12, thus furnishing a. closed gusset in which there isbut one fold disposed at the outside quarter of the boot.

As distinguished from vconditions met with in overshoes, which have acomparatively loose lfit, the spaced clasps 22 are subject toconsiderable strain incident to the snug fitare provided for thefastener strip and the upper. The fastener strip 15 carries an innerfacing 26 suitably stitched thereto and narrow pockets areformed'between them to defeat the The fastener strip is prefer- `ting ofthe boot'on the foot, which ordinaril s the boot, it is not receivelongitudinally extending fiat spring metal strips 27 and 28. Thesespring strips are preferably disposed along the edge of the fastenerstrip which engages the upper,

so that the clasp eyelets 2O lie between the spring strips and theeyelets 14, thereby better resisting yielding of the strip andconcealing the clasp bases 23. The strips V27 and 28 are convenientlyformed in straight pieces and a gap is left between them in the regionof the ankle bone where the greatest amount of flexibility is' needed.This gap lalso serves to 'relieve any pressure on the Ver and the gusset25. In some cases it has een found that` the lower short spring metalstrip 30 `may be omitted. rIhe spring metal strips 29 and 30 arepreferably disposed below the pivotal portions of the lever clasps, inorder to prevent uncomfortable `localized pressure of the clasps on thefoot and leg.

lThe spring metal strips 27 to 30 may be laminated for greaterflexibility and are preferably provided with rounded tips 3l to avoidcutting through the stitched pockets in which the strips are retained-The boot is first placed on the foot with the lacing open andthe claspsclosed onto the fastening strip 15. The gusset 2,5 is then smoothed toassume the position shown in Figs. l and 2 presenting only a single foldat one side, following which the lacing is adjusted to obtain the properfit and then tied. Although the clasps are placed at a considerabledistance apart, there is no tendency durin the fastener strip to buckleor gape, since the spring metal strips 27 and 28 are incapable of anysubstantial yieldin in their plane For subsequent removal o the boot thelevers 21 of the clasps are swung open,

whereupon the laced portion oftle upper is swung outwardly from the footto permit easy removal of the foot. When opening necessary to separatelymanipulate each clasp lever as thel several clasps may be opened bypulling' the fastenerstrip 15 outwardly at its outer and upper edge andthereby swinging the levers outwardly one after the other as the stripis forced open along the foot. The boot may thus be opened in a veryrapid and expeditious manner. This method of opening theV boot makes itpossible for vthe clasp levers to engage the fastener strip close to vtheir free ends so that grass or other growth will not become caughtunder the levers.

the lacing operation for per having a lacing for adjusting the boot-ment of said lacing,

Thereafter the boot. is placed \on the foot with the clasps open, thegusset being readily smoothed and adjusted by passing one hand throughthe opening left by the fasteners and moving the hand along to properlyposition the fold. It is then only necessary to guide the levers of theclasps through the eyelets 20 and Vto swing the levers shut with thepulling over effect which accompanies the operation of these clasps,thereby insuring a snug fitting boot. The manipulation of the claspsrequires very little time-as compared with a lacingr operation and thelacing remains in its initially adjusted position to insure a properlyfitting boot.

The -boot of thc, present invention is capable of withstanding the hardservice encountered when worn about the farm and 'can be manufacturedyat a cost but slightly more than the conventional boot. The spring metalre-enforcing strips are quite flexible at right-angles to their planeand do not in the least interfere with comfortable walking. Theflexibility of these strips also permits the boot to. be rolled up inthe usual manner for purposes of shipment.,

The term boot, as herein employed, includes such obviously similarvarticles of 4apparel as gaiters, spats and leggings.

What l clam as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

' 1. In a boot, the combination with an upper having a lacing foradjusting the boot on the foot, of spaced separable fasteners secured tosaid upper adjacent the lacing on the foot,I of spacedseparablefasteners secured to said upper adjacent the lacing and adaptedfor effecting rapid opening and closing of said upper after initialadjustand a flatflexible metal reenforcing strip disposed along theupper adjacent said fasteners.

3. `In a boot, the combination with an upl per having a lacing for onthe foot, of spaced separable fasteners secured to said upper adjacentthe'lacin' and adapted for effecting rapid opening and closing of saidupper after initial adjust ent of said lacing, and a pairof flat fleIble metal strips disposed along the upper adjacent said fasteners andhaving their adjacent ends in the region of the ankle bone.

' 4.' In a boot, the combination of an upper having a lacing foradjusting the boot to the foot and including a fastener stripreadjusting the boot- `ceiving said lacing at 'one edge, a flat flexiblemetal re-enforcing member carried by said strip at its opposite edge andseparable fasteners carried by the upper and engaging said strip `alongits intermediate ortion.

5. In alacing boot, the com ination of an upper having a fastener stripoverlapping the adjacent quarterY of said upper, separable Afasteners'oinin said fastener strip and quarter, and Hat exible nietalreenforcing members carried by said strip and quarter adjacent saidfasteners, one of said rev-enforcing members being disposed below saidfasteners to avoid localized pressure of said fasteners on the foot.

6. In a boot, the combination of an upper including a fastener strip,separable fasteners joining said upper and fastener strip, and a pair ofHat flexible metal re-enforcin members carried by said fastener stripand having their adjacent ends spaced in the region of the ankle bone. j

7 In a boot, the combination of an upper having a fastener stripoverlapping the adjacent quarter of said upper and receiving a lacing atone edge, a Hat spring metal 8. In a boot, the combination of an upperhaving a front central lacing for adjusting the boot to the foot andincluding a fastener strip receiving said lacing at one edge andprojecting from the forward and lower edges of a subjacent quarter towhich it is secured at its lower'end, separable fasteners joining saidfastener strip and the subjacent quarter, and flexible re-enforcingmeans carried by said strip relatively unyielding in the plane of saidstrip. f

9. In a boot, the ycombination of an upper having a lacinf for adjustingthe boot to the foot and including a fastener strip receiving saidlacing, spaced separable fasteners joining said upper and fastenerstrip, and flexible re-enforcing means for said strip relativelyunyielding in the plane of said strip.

In testimony whereof Iafix my signature.

ERTHOLD C. JANKE.

